1. Jesus is Not a Focus
Jesus, and what He did for us by dying on the cross, is the Good News (or Gospel).
Everything in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is about Jesus.
Jesus was always God’s plan for reconciliation between Himself and us.
When Jesus is cut out of the equation, not only is THE solution omitted, everything makes less sense.
Also, things are going to be taken out of the correct biblical context or perspective.
In addition, God’s simple and open invitation to accept that Jesus died for our sins gets lost. Instead, life becomes about what man has to do in order to save himself. (Which does not lead to good things.)
2. Man-Made Rules that Aren’t in the Bible
These rules are usually present due to one of more of the following:
Due to a lack of biblical teaching or understanding
Patriarchal views that come into the Church
Pride (the not-so-great kind)
A lack of focus on Jesus in general and/or as our Lord and Savior who died for our sins.
In Jesus’s day, the religious leaders had added a bunch of extra rules which were oppressing the people. This is a major reason why Jesus was so frustrated with the religious leaders.
As it says in John, God is love. God’s solution to us being reconciled with Him was never, ever about man earning it…because we’re incapable of doing so. This is why, instead, Jesus died on the cross in our place. And all we have to do, to be seen as righteous in God’s eyes, is accept that incredible gift.
3. Who God is Becomes Skewed by The Man-Made Rules
When Jesus is not a focus…when an inaccurate understanding of the bible exists…when man-made rules enter the picture, creating a high bar that we can’t meet and that makes us miserable as we try…then of course we’re not going to have a clear view of who God is.
And, friend, if this has been what you’ve experienced, it’s not your fault. The deck has been stacked against you in a massive way.
But that’s why Jesus has brought you here, right? So God can finally introduce Himself to you as the real Him.
It’s no wonder that you’ve been feeling depressed or hopeless. Anyone would. No one wants a God like the one you’ve been taught about. But guess what? Isn’t it great that God doesn’t exist!
This is where finally finding those legit, true biblical resources makes all the difference. (I know this from personal experience.)